A flow control and injection arrangement and method

ABSTRACT

A flow control and injection arrangement includes an injection resistant inflow control device in fluid communication with an inside of a production string and with an environment outside the arrangement; and an injection valve in fluid communication with an inside of a production string and with an environment outside the arrangement. The injection valve being responsive to a threshold pressure in the production string to allow fluid flow from inside the production string to the environment outside of the arrangement. A flow control and injection method.

BACKGROUND

In the hydrocarbon recovery arts control of fluids flowing into a borehole is an important consideration to avoid the production of unwanted fluids as well as balancing production to avoid breakthrough of unwanted fluids. There are many devices and methods to support these goals. Some of these devices include in-flow control devices (ICD) that function in various ways to preferentially admit desirable fluids while also tending to exclude undesirable fluids. Such devices are highly advantageous and are well liked by the industry but still there are drawbacks. In some cases a drawback is identifiable as a resistance to allowing passage of injected fluids. More specifically, while the ICD facilitates flow of desirable production fluids into the production tubing, it will inherently resist injection fluids flowing in the production tubing exiting the ICD toward the formation. This can frustrate or even prevent formation treatment in some cases. Since at times during the useful life of a well, treatment may be desirable to improve return on investment, the art would well receive arrangements that enhance the function of ICDs while maintaining their present utility in preferentially allowing passage of fluids into the production tubing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

A flow control and injection arrangement includes an injection resistant inflow control device in fluid communication with an inside of a production string and with an environment outside the arrangement; and an injection valve in fluid communication with an inside of a production string and with an environment outside the arrangement, the injection valve being responsive to a threshold pressure in the production string to allow fluid flow from inside the production string to the environment outside of the arrangement.

A flow control and injection method includes producing a selected fluid through an injection resistant inflow control device; pressuring up on a production string to exceed a threshold pressure in an injection valve; and opening the injection valve and applying an injection fluid to a formation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:

FIG. 1 is a quarter section view of a flow control and injection arrangement in an injection condition;

FIG. 2 is the view of FIG. 1 in a production condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.

Referring to FIG. 1, a flow control and injection arrangement 10 is illustrated in a condition in which injection flow is taking place. The arrangement includes an arrangement housing 12 disposed radially of a base pipe 14 to define a chamber 16 (one or more of them as intended by the term “a”) therebetween that is fluidically connected to a formation 18 (when the arrangement is in a borehole). It is to be appreciated that the chamber may have a multitude of shapes including annular, part annular, branched, or any other shape providing the chamber 16 is ultimately fluidically connected to an environment outside of the housing 12. The fluidic connection serves to provide fluids from the formation to an injection resistant ICD 20 within the chamber 16 such that the ICD can do what it does with respect to admitting fluids to the production string, a portion of which is here represented as the base pipe 14. In one embodiment the ICD may be an RCP AR7 valve available commercially from Baker Hughes Incorporated Houston Tex. Between the chamber 16 and formation 18 in some embodiments may be a filtration media 22 such as a sand screen as shown.

Also disposed between the base pipe 14 and the formation 18 is an injection valve 24. Injection valve 24 may be positioned within the chamber 16 or may be positioned without the chamber but still in fluid communication with the inside of the base pipe 14 and the formation 18. In either case, the purpose of the injection valve 24 is to be closed during production and opened via tubing pressure inside of the base pipe 14 in order to supply fluid from within the base pipe 14 to the formation. Such fluid may be a fracture fluid, an acidizing fluid, or any other treatment fluid.

The valve 24 is configured with a valve housing 26 including a support portion 28 and a flow portion 30. Within the support portion 28, a spring housing 32 is positioned and in some embodiments sealed at seal 34 to the support portion 28. The spring housing 32 is configured to accept a valve stem 36 and a spring 38 to bias the valve 24 to a closed position. The rate of the spring and the preload that is imposed upon spring 38 by a nut 40 and washer 42 may be selected for the particular circumstances that are anticipated for the arrangement while in use. Selection criteria include but are not limited to at what base pipe internal pressure the injection valve 24 should open to allow flow to the formation. Spring housing 32 may further include an optional valve stem seal 44 as illustrated to prevent fluid movement through the spring housing and hence avoid entrained particulate matter becoming resident within the spring housing. Such particulate matter resident in the spring housing can affect normal operation of the valve stem with respect to smooth movement in response to pressure.

As illustrated the support portion 28 also includes a flow passageway 48 that fluidly connects an inside of the base pipe 14 with the flow portion 30 of the valve housing 26. Increasing pressure in flow portion 30, due to increasing pressure in base pipe 14, will cause a valve head 50 to unseat from valve seat 52 and fluid may then flow from the base pipe 14 to the formation 18, in the illustrated case, through the screen 22. In alternate embodiments a head seal surface 54 may comprise a radiused geometry or an angled geometry and the seat 52 may comprise the opposite of the head seal surface, i.e. the other of the radiused geometry or the angled geometry. In different environments one or the other may provide enhanced erosion resistance. It is to be understood that other geometries for the seat and head seal surface are also contemplated.

As constructed in FIG. 1, the valve housing 26 is fixedly attached to the base pipe 14 with such as a weld joint. Welds 56 and 58 are illustrated. It will be appreciated that in one embodiment, at least one of the welds 56 and 58 are continuous to prevent fluid from leaking between the valve housing 26 and the base pipe 14. Finally, a seal 60 that may in some cases be a bonded or molded seal or O-ring is illustrated ensuring that the valve housing 26 is sealed to the arrangement housing 12 to prevent fluid leaking in that area.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, there is pressure in the base pipe 14 that is greater than a pressure necessary to in seat the valve head and allow injection fluid to pass through the injection valve. This is illustrated by the small arrows indicating fluid flow direction. In FIG. 2, the pressure in the base pipe 14 is not sufficient to unseat the valve head so instead the valve head stays seated on the seat and the arrangement operates to pass production fluid through into the base pipe 14. The fluid flow direction is illustrated in FIG. 2 with small arrows.

It is to be understood that although the injection valve is illustrated in a chamber with the ICD, it is not required to be so. Further, although the fluid from the base pipe 14 is shown accessing the injection valve 24 through a port 60, this is only one iteration. It is equally possible to build the injection valve such that the flow portion has direct access to the inside of the base pipe 14. Further, there is no particular reason that the valve 24 need be in the chamber 16 at all. Rather, the injection valve need merely be placed to allow injection fluid from the base pipe 14 to reach the formation 18 if pressure in the base pipe 14 exceeds a selected threshold value, that value being selected based upon spring 42 selection and nut 40 preload.

In use, the arrangement allows for control of fluid inflow while allowing injection when needed even though the inflow control device is resistant to injection. To this end, the flow control and injection method enabled by this disclosure includes: producing a selected fluid through an injection resistant inflow control device; pressuring up on a production string to exceed a threshold pressure in an injection valve; and opening the injection valve and applying an injection fluid to a formation.

Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:

Embodiment 1

A flow control and injection arrangement comprising: an injection resistant inflow control device in fluid communication with an inside of a production string and with an environment outside the arrangement; and an injection valve in fluid communication with an inside of a production string and with an environment outside the arrangement, the injection valve being responsive to a threshold pressure in the production string to allow fluid flow from inside the production string to the environment outside of the arrangement.

Embodiment 2

The arrangement of embodiment 1 wherein the device is located within a chamber that is fluidically connected to an environment outside of the arrangement.

Embodiment 3

The arrangement of embodiment 1 wherein the arrangement includes a sand screen between the environment outside of the arrangement and the production string.

Embodiment 4

The arrangement of embodiment 1 wherein the injection valve includes a valve stem and valve head.

Embodiment 5

The arrangement of embodiment 4 wherein the head is seatable on a valve housing to prevent fluid movement through the injection valve.

Embodiment 6

The arrangement of embodiment 1 wherein the injection valve includes a spring to bias the valve head to a seated position.

Embodiment 7

The arrangement of embodiment 1 wherein the injection valve further includes a spring housing sealed to a valve housing.

Embodiment 8

A flow control and injection method comprising: producing a selected fluid through an injection resistant inflow control device; pressuring up on a production string to exceed a threshold pressure in an injection valve; and opening the injection valve and applying an injection fluid to a formation.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should further be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity).

The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a wellbore, and/or equipment in the wellbore, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A flow control and injection arrangement comprising: an injection resistant inflow control device in fluid communication with an inside of a production string and with an environment outside the arrangement; and an injection valve in fluid communication with an inside of a production string and with an environment outside the arrangement, the injection valve being responsive to a threshold pressure in the production string to allow fluid flow from inside the production string to the environment outside of the arrangement.
 2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device is located within a chamber that is fluidically connected to an environment outside of the arrangement.
 3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arrangement includes a sand screen between the environment outside of the arrangement and the production string.
 4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the injection valve includes a valve stem and valve head.
 5. The arrangement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the head is seatable on a valve housing to prevent fluid movement through the injection valve.
 6. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the injection valve includes a spring to bias the valve head to a seated position.
 7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the injection valve further includes a spring housing sealed to a valve housing.
 8. A flow control and injection method comprising: producing a selected fluid through an injection resistant inflow control device; pressuring up on a production string to exceed a threshold pressure in an injection valve; and opening the injection valve and applying an injection fluid to a formation. 